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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
May 18, 2009

NEW NATIONAL POLL: TEENS LIKELY TO BE OUT OF WORK THIS SUMMER

Only 22 percent had a job last summer, yet 74 percent hope to work this summer.

Colorado Springs, Colo. – According to a new national poll released today by Junior Achievement and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), nearly three-quarters of teens surveyed (74 percent) either have or hope to get a summer job this year, despite the fact that fewer than one-in-four (22 percent) reported that they had a summer job last year. Teens could be pounding the pavement with little hope of finding summer employment-- last summer's job market was the most challenging since the Great Depression, according to a report from Northeastern University.

Traditionally, summertime is when teens seek seasonal work to pay for college or for their first car. Overall, the job market recently showed a modest rebound with the release of The Department of Labor's April jobs report. It reflected fewer jobs lost during that month than originally projected-however, the overall unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent, its highest point since 1983. The challenging job market underscores the need for teens to have and use work-readiness skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.

The tenth annual Junior Achievement/HCA "Teens and Summer Jobs" poll also found:

• 42 percent of respondents plan to work this summer to earn pocket money-the top reason cited by teens for working during the summer, for the second year in a row.

• Only 23 percent said they're working to save for college.

• Only 12 percent said their top reason for working at a summer job was to gain work experience.

Jack E. Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA, commented, "It is more important than ever for teens to conduct their summer job search in a way that will help them land a job in a tight market, such as presenting themselves in a professional manner, and following up diligently on job leads. Junior Achievement also encourages teens to use skills such as critical thinking and teamwork which will help them stand out at a summer job, and compete in the workforce when they embark upon their careers."

Kosakowski also added that given the tough economy, families may be hard-pressed to pay for their child's college tuition, making finding that summer job even more critical for teens.

John M. Steele, HCA Senior Vice President for Human Resources added, "HCA is committed to helping our young people successfully prepare for their careers. We're proud to be preparing for the tenth year of our own summer internship program and to co-sponsor Junior Achievement's work-readiness program for high school students, JA Careers with a Purpose™, which helps teens identify and prepare for a meaningful vocation."

Junior Achievement's 2009 Teens and Summer Jobs poll was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation from April 30 through May 4, 2009, and surveyed 500 U.S. teens ages 12-17 by telephone. The survey's margin of error is +/- 4.4 percent.

About JA Worldwide® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 135 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

About HCA
HCA is the nation's leading provider of healthcare services, composed of locally managed facilities that include approximately 169 hospitals and 115 outpatient centers in 20 states and England. At its founding in 1968, Nashville-based HCA was one of the nation's first hospital companies. For more information, visit www.hcahealthcare.com.

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